The Chick Class Hunter is Being Filial — Chapter 261 read online

“Haruna.”

When Genzo reached his hand toward her, Haruna took a step back.

He stared at his empty hand for a moment, then clasped both behind his back.

“Hyeonak’s a better place than I expected. The guildmaster does wear ridiculous clothes, though.”

Guru muttered, It’s cute though..., while Jurim’s brow furrowed.

Haruna, on the other hand, looked confused, so Genzo adjusted the translator in his ear.

A familiar chill crept into his voice, the tone Haruna had heard so many times before.

[“Even if Hyeonak isn’t a bunch of drifters, I can’t let you stay here. You’re an Inoue.”]

Haruna clasped her hands tightly, her pale face spilling words in a rush.

[“I’ve always been afraid of being judged. But in the Inoue family, that’s all you can ever be. I don’t want that anymore.”]

[“You dare—!”]

Flinch—Haruna’s shoulders hunched.

At that moment, Guru toddled over and slapped a [Noisy] sticker on Genzo.

With three [Noisy] stickers stuck to him, his face flushed red and green.

[“This little brat—!”]

Before his anger could stray in her direction, Jurim scooped Guru up.

Guru snorted hot air through her nose and, nestled in Jurim’s arms like a fox hiding behind a tiger, glared sharply.

“Gwampa. Unni’s shivewin’.”

[“What?”]

Just then, Kazuki placed a reassuring arm around Haruna’s shoulders and shook his head ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) slightly.

[“Sensei. Please let Haruna say what she wants to say.”]

Genzo looked at his granddaughter, head bowed and shrinking in on herself.

It was a familiar sight—Haruna was always small and pale before him.

When had he started only seeing that face of hers?

With a sigh, he ran a hand down his face.

[“...Yes. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry for losing my temper.”]

With his mood slightly eased, Guru beamed at Haruna.

As if given courage, Haruna parted her tightly pressed lips.

[“Grandpa, what I... what I want to make is...”]

Her words trailed off as she hurriedly pulled a dawan from her inventory—a tea bowl, wide-mouthed like a small rice bowl.

Its grade was only F, with nothing more than an option to keep tea at the right temperature.

Genzo accepted the bowl silently.

[“S-something like this. Not swords or anything...”]

[“A dawan?”]

[“Yes. I’ve never told you before... but making weapons feels like wearing clothes that don’t fit me. I’m sorry...”]

As he turned the dawan in his hands, Genzo’s gaze clouded, as if remembering the past.

[“...Before the Cataclysm, the Inoue family was a clan of artisans who excelled at pottery.”]

[“I know. When I was little, you made me little play dishes.”]

Genzo smiled faintly at the memory.

[“Those days existed, too.”]

But after the Cataclysm, with monsters pouring in, weapons became necessary—and the Inoue family threw themselves into forging them.

The swords their artisans made brought far greater wealth and honor than pottery ever had.

The system’s grading made it easy to gauge the quality of a tool—but it also made them focus solely on that evaluation.

The higher the grade, the more praise and recognition came.

And somewhere along the way, Inoue Genzo had devoted himself only to things “worthy of being judged.”

[“The truth is... I never really wanted to play the part of an S-Rank properly... I’m sorry.”]

[“...There’s nothing for you to apologize for. That was all my greed.”]

Haruna shook her head.

She had agreed to become a fake S-Rank in part because she’d wanted her grandfather’s approval.

[“Grandpa, I have no talent. My crafting grade is only C... I can’t be the person you want me to be, like Amakusa-san.”]

Her head dropped lower and lower.

[“Even so... even if I have no talent, even if I’m not worth evaluating... I just want you to accept me as I am.”]

Just as she loved crafting even without a talent worthy of praise, she wanted her grandfather to accept her as she was.

Genzo’s face twisted as he looked down at his bowed granddaughter.

With a pained groan, he spoke.

[“...Even so, I can’t let you stay in Korea.”]

Haruna lifted her face, despair written there.

Genzo quickly added,

[“You’re my blood. I’m not disappointed in you for lacking talent. I only wanted to pass on to you the praise and recognition I’ve received. It may be that my actions have disappointed you instead... but what I lack, and what you lack—we fill in for each other. That’s what family is, isn’t it?”]

Haruna blinked wide eyes.

Genzo adjusted the translator in his ear again.

“Sorry for making a scene over family matters. I’ll give you a proper apology next time.”

Jurim nodded.

“And about the S-Rank business—I’ll sort it out and make a public announcement soon. Can you wait a little?”

“Of course.”

Guru looked at Genzo’s face as he said thank you.

“You helped me calm down, you ill-mannered little brat.”

Guru pouted.

With an affectionate expression, he flicked her cheek, then beckoned to Haruna.

“Let’s go to the hotel, Haruna. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

Haruna understood and gave a deep bow to Guru’s group.

Kazuki, watching the two leave, murmured in concern, “Will they be okay?”

“They’ll be fine. They’re family.”

'Because they’re family...'

Hearing Jurim’s words, Guru rested her chin on his shoulder.

Even when Grandpa Genzo erupted in anger, the moment his granddaughter shrank away, it was obvious he didn’t know what to do.

Was that the magic of family?

How different was blood family from Guru’s special kind of family?

When would she find out?

Guru wrapped her arms around Jurim’s neck, and he patted her back.

“Did you play enough today?”

Guru shook her head sadly, then whispered in his ear,

“Daddychann, pi-pi-pi... five weft.”

“...Still?”

“Mhm.”

Guru squeezed tighter around his neck to keep him from running away.

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